Afghanistan has faced heavy snowfall and continuous rain over the past three days, resulting in 61 deaths and hundreds of injuries. Authorities have warned that the numbers may increase further.
Afghanistan's disaster management agency revealed on Saturday (24 Jan 2026) that heavy snow and continuous rain over the past three days have caused over 60 deaths and more than 100 injuries nationwide. Meanwhile, authorities are urgently working to reopen transportation routes and reach villages cut off by the weather.
Yousaf Hammad, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Authority, stated there are 61 confirmed deaths and 110 injuries. Additionally, 458 homes have been either partially or completely destroyed, and hundreds of livestock have died across 15 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces.
Hammad said the casualty figures may change as officials continue gathering more information from various provinces.
Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events. Heavy snow and rain often trigger flash floods that claim dozens or even hundreds of lives at a time. In 2024, more than 300 people died from flash floods during the spring season.
Decades of ongoing conflict, poor infrastructure, a struggling economy, deforestation, and worsening effects of climate change all exacerbate the impact of such disasters—especially in remote areas where most homes are made of mud.
Furthermore, eastern provinces are still recovering from powerful earthquakes last August and November that damaged villages and killed more than 2,200 people.
Earlier this month, the United Nations said Afghanistan will remain “one of the world's largest humanitarian crises in 2026.” The UN and humanitarian partners have jointly launched an urgent appeal for $1.7 billion to assist nearly 18 million Afghans.
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Source:npr